a man is fast asleep in his fins, little thinks of any good, unleffe it be to oppofe it, then Chrift comes and feals on Come inftruction upon his foul. Thus he doth come at mid

night.

Secondly, When Chrift comes with his Comforting thercy, and caufes his comforting grace to paffe upon a mans heart; then he doth come at midnight, in an hour and time when he doth leaft expe&t him. I fought bim (saies the Spouse,) but I found him not. I fought him on my bed, in private, and found bim not. I fought him in the streets, in the publick Ordinances, but I found him not. It was but a little that I paffed from the watchmen, but I found bim bom my Soul loveth. Then, and there the finds him, where the look's not for him, and did not expect him. Pfalm 42. verfe, 6,7,8. O my God (faies David) My Soul is caft down within me. Here's trouble, forrow, and heavineffe; all thy waves are gone over me, verfe the 17. Here's more. Yet (faith he) verfe 8. The Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time, and in the night bis fongs fall be with me. It is Gods or dinary title, The Lord our Maker, who giveth songs in the night, Job 35. We reade of Mafter Robert Glover, mentioned by Mafter Fox in the book of Martyrs, That though he were a man very gracious and holy, faithfully bearing witness to the truth; yet it pleafed God to withdraw bimfelf and prefence from him, in fo much that he was greatly diftreffed while he was in prifon; and opening himself to bis friend, told him, how God had left and deferted him; his friend exhorted him ftill for to wait on God, which he la boured to do, and the night before his execution, spent much of that time in prayer, yet no comfort came, no manifeftations ofthe prefence of Chrift; the nexe day he was drawn out to the ftake for to die for the truth, and as he went, he mourned much for the prefence of Chrift; but when he came in the fight of the ftake, it pleafed God fo to fill his heart and foul with comfort, and the incomes of his love, that he cried out unto his friend, O Auftin, he is come, he is come, he is come. This good man was in the

dark

dark a great while; but when in the darkest time,then Christ came. Chrift comes at midnight, when he doth come with comfort.

And thirdly, WhenChrift comes with outward delivering mercy to a perfon or people, then he doth come at mid night also. It is faid of frael, that they went out of Egypt at midnight, God had promifed deliverance along time before, and they did all expe& it; but who would have expected it at fuch a time as that was? And if ye look into that laft Chapter of Zachary, we shall find, that the great deliverance of the Churches promised, is to be in one day, which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night, but it fall come to paffe, that at evening time it ball belight, verí. 7. Who would expect light at evening? all expect darkneffe at evening time; but at evening, when we look most for darkneffe, God hath promifed this great light.

And for Chrill coming at the last,ye know what he fayes, I will come in an houre when ye look not for me. And for this great deliverance and victory which the Lord hath now given unto you, was it not at midnight? confider with your felves a little,remember the dayes of your former troubles, and were you ever in a more dark condition? were ye not all benighted? when were your enemies more high,and lofty? when were your friends more down and dejected? A night, a night, the Lord knowes, a dark night was come upon us. Well, but now Chrift comes with a seasonable, almoft mi raculous victory and deliverance. And this is Chrifts way and manner; He never comes to his people as a Bridgroome, bur ftill he doth come at midnight, in all his comings still he doth come at midnight.

Chrift loves that his people fhould fit up for him, watch and wait for him. He waitech to fhew mercy on them that wait on his mercy. The more a man is respected, and beloved in a houfe,the more if he be abroad, bose in the house wil fit up,and watch for him, he that lover him not,fayel wil go to bed, Pleftay no longer, let him come when he pleafes; but he chat loves him, faith, I'le watch, l'le stay, Ple fit C

up!

3.

Reaf. 1

Reaf. 2

up for him; yea, though he do not come till midnight.

And does it argue love, for one man to fit up and wait for another? and not love in our foules to fit up and watch, and wait for Chrift? Chrift loves to fee our love exerciled; and therefore fayes he, though intend to fave, and helpe fuch a perfon, yer. Ple tay, and stay long; I will not help him prefently, I'le fuffer a night, a dark night to come upon him, fo fhall I fee his love in waiting for

me...

mạn.

Secondly, Chrift loves to fhew mercy to his people in fuch a way, as he may hide pride from men; he would not have his people to be proud of mercies And upon this account fayes the text, in the 33. of Job, He feales on inftruction in the night, that he may hide pride from man. When a man is awake, he tryes things by reafon, and if reafon like them, then they do paffe for currant if reafon don't approve them, then they will be dejected: bus in a dream, in a deep fleep, the mind receives things, not examining them by reafon. Now in the great things of God, the leffe hand reafon bath, Rationes and the more Faith,the better. Reafons going before Faith, preceden- do diminish it; but Reafons following Faith,ftrengthens it, fay the Schooles Faith ennobles a work. The more & man dem, fub- ufhers in a bufineffe with his own reafon, the more apt to fequentes be proud thereon but in a dream,in a deep fleep,there is little of reafon to be ufed, and therefore in a deep fleep he comes upon us, that he may hide pride from us,

tes minu. unt Fi

dem,fub

augent.

Reaf.3.

7

Thirdly, Chrift loves to come fo, as he may be moft wel. come to his peoples; and the leffe expected, the more wel come many times and when is he leffe expected then at midnight? If a man be in extremity of mifery,and a friend comes to vifit him, then he doth not only bid him welcome, but admires his love: Oh! Sir, could you find in your heart to come to me now? what! now at midnight? this is love indeed. Chrift comes to be admired of all that heleeve,(layes the Scripture) and therefore, when his people are in the dark, in a dark night, then he chooses to come, and then efpecially, and chen a mans heart doth mels with love ra

Chrift:

1

Chrift: Oh what a gracious Savior have I, that could find in his heart to find me out with his mercy in this dark condition, in this unexpected time! His time is not as our time, as his thoughts are not as ours. Chrift is the good Samaritan, he will poure wine and oyl into the bleeding wounds of his fervants, but he will first let the Priest paffe by, and the Levite paffe by,and fuch meanes and helps paffe by, which we ordinarily expect comfort from; and when we have none from them,then faies he,now is a time for me; but by that time all other helps are paffed by,it will be midnight; but though it be midnight (fayes Chrift) it is all one to me, for I create light, and my thoughts, and my times, are not as mans are. And though man come with help and fuccour in the day time, yet I wil come at mid night. Oh! what glori- Applyca. ous difpenfations of love and mercy is here!

What is the iffue of this doctrine? what if Chrift do come Queft. at midnight?

This Doctrine looks wifhly upon two forts of people, fuch as he doth come againft, and fuch as he doth come Answ.

for.

Some foolish virgins there are whom Chrift comes again ft, and these he will come upon at midnight, take them in their beds, when they are faft afleepe in their fin, and are moft fecure.Ye have heard of the lamentation of Norwitch; there was a generation of men that rofe up and threatned to deftroy the godly party there, but the Lord fo ordered things in his providence, that thofe whom they threatned to deftroy, were preferved, and the deftroyers perifhed; nigh two or three hundred (if relations be right)blown up with powder, or fpoiled, and three godly families,confifting of about twenty perfons, in feveral roomes of the house that was blown up, were all preferved, and not a bone of them broken whilft the other flew up into the air, as fpectales of divine anger, as if God fhould speak from Heaven, thefe are people whom I would have preferved, and thofe are the people, that I would have punished. But oh! poor defroyed fouls who perished in the thunder of Gods anger,

C 2

the

did

did they ever think that Chrift would have come upon them at fuch a midnight? Here is a great deliverance and victory that is now before ye: If relations (peak true, two thousand and five hundred, patting to flight eight thousand of the enemy, fifteen hundred flaine, three thousand taken prifoners, and the 'reft fcattered: But oh !poor deceived people who made this infurrection? did they ever think that Chrift would have come fo fuddenly, in such a time, at midnight upon them? Confider all your warres, and hath not Chrift come at midnight all along?Chrift is in the way to his Kingdom, and every step he takes fhall be midnight; both unto thofe he comes for, and those that he comes against; but woe to them whom he doth come againft,it is a dreadful thing to be cut off fuddenly,and furprized in our fins. This is a judg ment threatened on the latter day, Chrift will come quickly, be quick with men in a way of judgment:as a thief in the night will come,when poor foolish virgins fhall be fast asleep,

I would here therfore exhort and beseech ye in the Lord,to confider the ground ye ftand upon, the principles ye worke by, the caufe ye mannage; and I appeal to you, whether do ye not think that God is in all thefe warres, that the event of battels is only in the hand of God? Some of you,po friends to Parliament, nor the cause of God in their hands, have tryed many wayes (as once Baalam,)to curfe Ifrael; fometimes ye have got upon one hill, and there ye have built an alter, thinking from thence to curfe Gods people; when that would not do, then you got upon a fecond; when ye could not do it from thence, then ye got to a third mountaine:one while ye thought to have done it by the ftrength of your old skilful foldiery; when that would not do,then ye came home, and fought to make divifions among us,and to raife jealoufies between brethren;seeing that would not do it fufficiently, you have now gotten to a third mountain,laboring to ftir up the Countreys to make infurrection, and yet ye cannot curfe them from thefe. Wherefore now after all, do ye not think that God is against you?canye beleeve that God is with you, after all these succeffive vi&ories that have

fallen